


Kindred Spirits, Despite It All

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Dooku the Rat [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka's a little shaky still, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, but she's there for Anakin, not sure where she belongs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-11
Updated: 2016-06-11
Packaged: 2018-07-14 08:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7163246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ahsoka's back on Coruscant, still feeling adrift, but knowing Anakin needs her has her reaching out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kindred Spirits, Despite It All

Dormé was the one that processed the request for temporary flight permits and visa status the day one A. Tano put it in. She was as briefed as any of the handmaidens still in Padmé's service on who was important in which sphere of her life, and that application was reviewed thoroughly, as well as swiftly. Reason had been given as 'personal business' with duration as 'one ten-day, maybe less'.

If Dormé were a betting woman, she'd bet on seeing a new order from the Senator herself to extend it indefinitely once she had processed the identity verification codes. She passed on the necessary authorizations, parking permit for the ship in Naboo's facility on Coruscant, and then immediately contacted the Temple, where Anakin Skywalker ought to be. 

Nor did it take long to get the Jedi on the comm. 

"Dormè?" Anakin fought down his immediate panic for Padmé.

"I have just issued a visa and ship permits to Lady Tano, Anakin. She will be landing shortly in our facility."

Panic turned to a mix of relief and delight, though he tried to keep all three from showing on his face, and he nodded at the news. "Thank you, Dormè... very much. I'm going to be stuck here for another few hours. Tell her I'll see her soon, though?" 

"I shall, I promise." Dormé would turn over office operations to one of her sister-handmaidens and go herself to meet the former Jedi. 

Ahsoka, here. Back on the planet, safe where he knew where she would be... he breathed a little easier even as he left the comm to go back to the prolonged discussion he was having with several members of the Council. 

++++

Ahsoka still wasn't certain what to make of it all. She was in a small apartment in the Naboo Embassy, with a line of credit if she needed it for her stay, and a visa that was open-ended. Dormé had explained she had set it up to the specifications in Ahsoka's request, but that it had been amended at a level higher than herself.

What Dormé did not say was that it had been ordered by Senator Amidala from within the Senate, which meant Sabé had flagged it to her attention during the debates raging in there.

The former Jedi Padawan had lived on the run, feeling outcast because of the betrayal of the Council on one hand and her own guilt for not still being out there with her men. 

And Anakin was supposedly going to be here any minute now.  
Anakin hadn't needed one of the staff to point the way to his Padawan -- not his Padawan -- his Snips; he'd sensed her the moment he stepped into the Embassy, and he let his long stride take him to her door, his knuckles rapping against it. 

"Speak of the…" she opened the door, "Skyguy, hey!" She pushed herself into a perkier voice and smile than she really felt, still concerned by Obi-Wan's words to her. "Come on in."

She stepped back, her body language not quite matching her words, showing far too much of her unease to this man.

Anakin frowned at her for trying to bluff him, wondering what had her so uneasy, what she thought was going on, but he did step in. "Heya, Snips... you look pretty good -- did you get taller?" 

"A little," she said, closing the door. She then moved to hug him, half-afraid he would stop her. "Missed you, Skyguy."

He reached out as she moved towards him and dragged her in against his chest, one hand cupping carefully behind her head, up high, and the other wrapping hard around her hip, letting himself latch on almost as tightly as he needed. "I missed you, little one..." 

She closed her eyes, and something that had felt broken for far too long ached inside her, until she stopped fighting it, letting the bond heal. "Sorry; still don't know who or what I am anymore. Hard to find answers when all I could think of was how I walked away from you and the Vod'e."

"Shh," Anakin murmured to her, holding her tight as he felt her mind settle, her presence relax against his -- his Snips, right here, safe. "Shh, Snips. 

"I _hated_ seeing you leave -- but that doesn't mean I didn't understand. You had to go. What the Council did was wrong. But you're here now." 

"Obi-Wan… he said you might need a friend?" Ahsoka said, questioning a little because she was still very unsure of being here. In the back of her mind, she had not been able to come to terms with any of it. She still kept turning over all of her years in the Temple and then serving the 501st, trying to find what she had done that was so wrong the Council had ever thought she should be cast out, not protected.

Anakin snorted, half-amused and half-affectionate, and petted carefully up one montral, dipping his head to rest his forehead between her horns. "Ran into him, huh? 

"He's... not at all wrong. He wanted to stay, but we couldn't _both_ be out of the field, morale would tank Republic-wide, and Cody needed him there. It's so kriffing good to see you, Snips." 

"Yeah, ran into him," she said, not wanting to admit how or why. She sighed softly to feel him resting against her like that, her arms settling more around him, hands on his back. "He suggested working through the Embassy for landing permits. I take it you're not even pretending not to be involved with the Senator to him?"

"No," Anakin agreed, after making a startled noise at his Snips' dry amusement on those words, "though it's not as though I ever told you, either. But I... he made it pretty clear he knew, after -- " he heard his voice falter, swore mentally at himself, and decided they didn't have to tackle everything at once. Besides, Snips didn't feel like she was in any shape to listen to his woes, she was still struggling with what the Council had done to her. He had to take care of her. "Well, after. And even if I hadn't, I would have had to tell him now." 

She pulled back from him, hands going to her hips. "Kriff it, Skyguy, I came back _for_ you. Not to be coddled against my lack of direction -- I'd found one that was going to suit me just fine until I ran into Obi-Wan! -- and I expect you to actually talk to me!" She let all her fierce determination show in voice and lekku alike.

Pretending to shy back from her determination would have been a lot easier if he had been willing to let go of her even a little. As it was, he moved all of a few centimeters, and sighed as her blue eyes glared up at his. "...I will, Snips," he told her quietly. "Obi-Wan helped, a lot. But... no, I'm not okay, and I know it. 

"Can I share some _good_ news first, though?" 

"I'd love some good news," she said. "Like, I really need good news." She leaned back in against his chest, waiting for him to speak, for his voice to fill her montrals, to push back the loneliness and lost sense of existence.

"Padmè's -- she's pregnant," he told her, his other hand stroking on her back as she leaned against him so completely trustingly. 

"Pregnant?" Ahsoka pulled back to look up into his face. "Oh, the galaxy better watch out! Trouble is on the way!" she teased.

"Probably," Anakin agreed, "I mean, you've met Padmè! Trouble follows her everywhere!" 

"Yeah, in the shape of one Anakin Skywalker!" Ahsoka retorted to that. She then laughed and pulled him to the couch. "It's great, that she's having a baby. And you look happy about that part, so, that's even better."

"I'm happy any time I'm not terrified," Anakin agreed, moving with her, tucking himself well into the corner of arm, back, and seat so that she could curl up however she wanted. "Also confused, because -- before you say anything -- we _were_ being careful. And she's delighted, so how could I not be?" 

She flopped on the rest of the couch and put her head on his leg, arms coming up and wiggling to wrap around his waist. He was still her friend, if not her master, and it was at least a slight shield against being so alone.

"Wasn't going to say a thing; I grew up hearing the rumors the Force actually created you, remember?" She then considered the rest. "No need to be terrified, Skyguy. She's either going to be here or Naboo, right? Top of the line med services in both places."

Anakin snorted and nodded, his hands finding spots on her back well away from her lekku to rest, staying in contact with her. "...that's not the only reason I'm worried, Snips. I -- what do I know about being a father?! 

"I never had one, Obi-Wan is kind of an object lesson in what _not_ to do, and -- " 

"--and you'll do just fine. Aside from the whole leaving me out as rancor-bait, Plo's not a bad example of being a dad," Ahsoka pointed out. "You'll do fine," she repeated. She smiled a little. "You've already decided not to let them go to the Temple, then. Good."

"There is _no way_ I'm letting the Temple have a chance at screwing up my kids as much as they managed to screw me up," Anakin replied instantly, "and besides, Padmè would _kill_ me." 

"Probably." She smirked at him for that. "Guess I'll just have to wander through from time to time and teach them bad habits, then," she said, but her lekku were not fully in line with her words. There was too much of a chance that she wouldn't be welcome, after all. They were going to be a family, clan, and she… she had left.

Anakin shifted his weight to get her a little closer, his flesh hand tightening a little more on her, giving her lekku a worried look before he realized what the problem was. "You'd better be around more than 'from time to time', Snips. I'm going to be totally overwhelm -- wait. Why are we both saying 'them'?" 

"Because I don't want to assume gender?" Ahsoka then looked at him. "Humans do litters? Is that what you think is happening?" She filed that invitation away, something to think about, if the Senator was okay with it.

"We don't call multiple births with humans a litter," Anakin replied, casting an amused look down at her, "but yeah, that happens. Twins or triplets, mostly -- and I _hope_ not; Padmè's already so busy, just one is going to be plenty. But... 'them' sounded right..." 

"You're going to be so whipped," Ahsoka crowed. "If there's more than one, you're going to need to reprogram Threepio as a real nanny-droid. And give Artoo the ability to put ray shields around things," she added, grinning when she said it.

Anakin growled at her -- but he couldn't exactly argue a whole lot, either. "I'm not reprogramming Threepio; he's just fine the way he is. I might have to build a nanny-droid to help him, though." 

"Yeah, that might even keep you out of trouble for a little while." Ahsoka sighed softly. "Anakin Skywalker, Galaxy Hero… and chief diaper changer!" She giggled then, pushing everything about her own issues fully away to get him to relax. 

"You sound... far too amused at that possibility, Snips. Should I be worried?" 

"It's your kid… or kids… yeah, you should be worried." Ahsoka tucked in a little more against him. "Poor Padmé if it is more than one. She's tiny."

"She is," Anakin had to agree, shaking his head a little. Hopefully it was just one, he'd only felt one presence... He sighed, soft, and let himself relax more, now that she was here. 

"So… do you want to fill me in on everything, or just relax today? Apparently I have an unlimited visa." She rolled her eyes a little, trying to shake it off that someone had done something nice for her.

"That doesn't surprise me. Besides, you're still a Coruscant citizen; why wouldn't you be able to stay?" Anakin asked, before he contemplated her question. "...I think the last thing I _want_ to do is fill you in, but... I need to."

"I didn't know what might have gotten lost when I said 'no' to the Council about coming back," she admitted. "And we don't have to rush this. But I want you to know I will listen to it all, and try to support you."

He hissed quietly at that mention, and made sure he had hold of her, before he started trying to figure out where even to start -- and finally did.


End file.
